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Activity A: Listening Test 1 - Script 1

The document discusses language learning among British people. It states that 62% of Britons only speak English and provides statistics on foreign language abilities in the UK and EU. It explains that foreign language learning is not very popular in British schools, where it typically starts at age 11 and many students stop at 14. The government wants to improve language learning by starting earlier and offering more language choices like Mandarin Chinese and Arabic.

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31 views2 pages

Activity A: Listening Test 1 - Script 1

The document discusses language learning among British people. It states that 62% of Britons only speak English and provides statistics on foreign language abilities in the UK and EU. It explains that foreign language learning is not very popular in British schools, where it typically starts at age 11 and many students stop at 14. The government wants to improve language learning by starting earlier and offering more language choices like Mandarin Chinese and Arabic.

Uploaded by

Fátima Ventura
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LISTENING TEST 1 – SCRIPT 1

ACTIVITY A
How many languages can you speak? British people are generally not very good language learners. In a
recent survey, 62 per cent of the population only speak English!
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably studying English. Maybe you speak a couple of other languages
too. What are the British like when it comes to learning languages?
Statistics
Brits are famous for not speaking foreign languages. According to a survey published by the European
Commission, this bad reputation is totally justified. The results of the survey state that the British are officially
the worst language learners in Europe! Let’s look at some statistics:
• 62 per cent of people surveyed can’t speak any other language apart from English.
• 38 per cent of Britons speak at least one foreign language, 18 per cent speak two and only 6 per cent
of the population speak three or more.
• The European Union average showed that 56 per cent speak at least one foreign language, 28 per
cent speak at least two and 11 per cent speak three or more. The survey confirmed that English was
the most widely-spoken foreign language. 51 per cent of EU citizens can have a conversation in
English.
School
Learning a foreign language is not a popular option at school in Britain. In UK schools it is common for
children to start studying a foreign language at the age of 11 and many students give up languages
completely at 14. So why don’t young people continue with languages at school? Research suggests that
students think that it is more difficult to get good grades in languages than in other subjects such as science
or history. The British government is now looking at different ways to improve language learning at school.
One idea is to start much younger; there are plans to introduce foreign languages from the age of five.
Which languages?
Another plan is to give school children more choice. The languages traditionally studied in British schools
have been French, Spanish and German. Now the government is encouraging teachers to expand the range
of languages taught to include Arabic, Mandarin Chinese and Urdu.
Mandarin is predicted to become the second most popular foreign language learned in UK schools. It is
already studied by more children than German or Russian. Only French and Spanish are more popular.
Gareth from Wales says ‘I am learning Chinese, and find it fun’. Another student, Thomas from London, says
‘Just telling people that I learn Mandarin impresses people. Even having a very basic level gives you an
advantage’. Brighton College has become the first independent school to make Mandarin a compulsory
foreign language. Its headmaster Richard Cairns said, ‘One of my key tasks is to make sure pupils are
equipped for the realities of the 21st century. One of those realities is that China has the fastest-growing
economy in the world’.
It may be an ambitious task to change attitudes towards learning languages but the government is
determined to try!

https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/uk-now/read-uk/languages
LISTENING TEST 1 – SCRIPT 2
Activity B

Bilingual teens and young adults


I often hear from young families starting out on their bilingual journey (with so many questions about how
things will turn out) and I realize how fast our own journey has gone. I remember being newly married,
planning our life together with my husband and researching how to best raise bilingual children. And then just
like that, in the blink of an eye, our oldest son started his college life last month.
Alex is 18 and always dreamed of attending a university in an English-speaking country. He attended a high
school in France that offered an OIB (International option, British section), and really wanted to use his
English studies to full advantage. He was admitted to Brigham Young University in Idaho where he is
currently doing his general studies and considering a major in software engineering. Alex is fluent in English,
but his greatest struggle in his new life in America has been feeling it is difficult to participate in conversations
where he feels that the rhythm and humor are not quite the same. Finding a group of friends has also proved
to be a challenge because of cultural norms that differ from those he grew up with in France. It’s an
adjustment that will no doubt bring growth and fulfillment, and hopefully a richer life.

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